Locking device for sectional cabinets.



A. T. WEISS. LOCKING DEVICE FOR SEGTIONAL CABINETS.

APPLIUATION FILED DEC. 5, 1908. I I 9 0 4 5 Patented June 7,1910.

ALBERT T. WEISS, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MANU- FACTURING (10., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR SECTIONAL CABINETS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. WVEIss, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Look mg Devices for Sectional Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to furniture and it has for its object to provide an interchangeable sectional cabinet unit embodying improved means for temporarily securing the units of a series together, and my improvements are further directed toward providing a device invisible from the eX- terior of the cabinet, yet readily accessible to the user at all times, and toward simplicit-y and economy of parts.

To theseand other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of two cabinet sections showing the relations of the locking parts all arranged and constructed in accordance with and illustrat ing one embodiment of my invention, the lower portion of the lower section being broken away; Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the locking parts as they appear in the plane of the upper wall of the lower section. The engaging member of the upper section is shown in section and portions of the wall adjacent to the locking member of the lower section are broken away; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section substantially on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a vertical longitudinal section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail bottom plan view of the cooperating locking parts as they appear in the plane of the under face of the top wall of the lower section; and, Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical central sec tion through the end portion of a single section or unit of the cabinet.

I have, in the present instance shown my improvements in connection with that article of furniture generically termed a sectional or elastic bookcase. These usually Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5, 1908.

Patented June "Z, 1910.

Serial No. 466,071.

comprise a base section, a plurality of contamer sections and a top or cover section all interchangeable and arranged in superposed relation to each other but as my locking devices are adapted to lock the upper portion of any one section tothe lower portion of another, I have herein illustrated merely the cover section and the upper portion of one of the intermediate or containing sections.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts 1 indicates the lower of the two sections embodying a casing having the end walls 2, the rear wall 3 and being open at the front, or said opening may be provided with the usual glass door. The top wall of the section is formed in the present instance of two tie pieces 41 and 5 connecting the end portions 2 but terminating short of the outer faces thereof and arranged side by side in parallelism to form an intermediate slot 6 communicating with the containing chamber or interior of the section. The end walls 7 of the upper section 7 a are adapted to rest in the same plane with and upon the corresponding walls 2 of the lower section, and for this purpose are constructed with recessed portions 8, whereby they fit over the end of the tie pieces l and 5 and this upper section-is also preferably provided with a lower wall consisting of tie pieces 9 that lie, when the sections are assembled, upon either side of those of the opposite member and prevent lateral d sengagement and displacement of the sectlons.

In the side of the tie piece 1 adjacent the tie piece 5 I form a recess 10, preferably .a saw kerf opening into the slot 6 and extending to the end of the tie piece and arranged to slide within the recess toward and from the plane of the end walls 2 and 7 is a bolt or locking member 11 which is prevented from lateral displacement from the recess by the opposing face of the tie piece 5. This bolt is preferably constructed of sheet metal having a yoke or bifurcation 12 at its outer end and a downwardly turned flange 13 at one of its edges, which flange projects through the slot 6 and within the containing chamber of the section 1 from which it is accessible as an operating member for the bolt. To render this operating portion convenient to the fingers of the user and yet obviate the necessity of extending it very far within the chamber to interfere with the contents the sections, the latter meeting in an even line to preserve the usual attractive ap-- the range of movement of the operating member.

Projecting downwardly from and in the plane of the end wall 7 of the top section is a pin or projection 15 forming a headed engaging member that arranges itself, when the sections are assembled, opposite the end of the recesslO, as shown in Fig. 3, so that thereafter all that is necessary to lock the sections is to reach within the chamber of the lower section 1 and by means of the operating'member 13 slide the bolt 11 toward the wall 2, whereupon the yoke 12 at its outer end cooperates with the engaging member 15 above the headed portion thereof. As the end walls of the sections are usually made of relatively light material and the tie pieces must be extended thereon sufficiently for security in the connection I provide a recess 16 in the end of one or both intersecting the slot or recess 10 for the locking member in order that the engaging member 15 may readily find its place when the upper section is roughly applied to the lower, and in this latter manipulation the tie pieces 4 and 5 on one section and 9 on the other readily position the parts as well 'as preventing their lateral displacement at all times. The bottom of the lower section 1 is, of course, formed to duplicate the corresponding position of the top section 7 as is usual, so that each section other than the base and cover carry all the elements of the locking combination, only the parts carried on one side are adapted to cooperate V with devices formed in accordance with those-on the other on an adjacent unit of the cabinet with which'it is assembled producing an interchangeable relation of .the

sections. 7

It will be observed that my locking means arev entirely concealed by the end walls of pearance. It will also be understood that the positions of the cooperating locking devices may be reversed, it being immaterial whether the bolt 13 be upon the top or bottom section, as illustrated by an inversion of the arrangement herein shown, except that it might be inconvenient to have the operating portion of the bolt on the bottom or' floor of the. lower section. My improvements could further be utilized in locking the units of a horizontally arranged tier all without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets comprising a casing having a chamber therein and a recess in one wall thereof, the upper and lower interlock with a member formed in'accordance with the other on an adjacent unit of the cabinet, one of said members embodying an engaging projection and the other a locking member unattachedly retained between the walls of the beforementioned recess and movable therein into and out of cooperation with its engaging projection and having an operating portion accessible from within the chamber.

2. In an interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets, the combination with a casing having a chamber therein and'provided with a recess in one wall thereof and with a slot leading from therecess to the chamber, .of members arranged upon the upperand lower portions of the casing, respectively, each adapted to interlock with a member formed in accordance with the other on an adj acent unit of the cabinet, one of said members embodying an engaging projection and the other a locking member unattached'ly retained between the walls of "the recess of the casing and movable therein into and out of cooperation with its engaging, member and having an operating portion projecting through the slot and within the chamber.

3. In an interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets, the combination with a casing having a tie piece connecting its end walls, of .members arranged upon opposite sides thereof respectively, each adapted to interlock with a member formed in accordance with the other on an adjacent unit of the cabinet, one of said 'members embodying an engaging projection extending in the plane of one of the end walls and the other a locking member carried by the tie piece and movabl'e toward and from the plane of said end wall, and into and out of cooperation with its engaging member to lock the sections together.

4. The combination with two furniture sections having corresponding walls arranged in the same plane, ofan engaging memberarranged in the plane of the wall of one section, a tie piece connecting opposite walls of the other section and a locking member carried by the tie piece and movable toward and from the plane common to the walls of both sections and into and out of cooperation with the engaging member to temporarily lock the sections together.

5. In an interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets, the combina tion with a casing having a chamber therein and a tie piece connecting opposite walls thereof and provided with a kerf, of meme bers arranged upon opposite sides thereof,

respectively, each adapted to interlock with a member formed in accordance with the of said members embodying an engaging projection and the other a sliding bolt arranged in the kerf in the tie piece to move into and out of cooperation with its engaging member and having an engaging portion projecting within the chamber.

6. In an interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets, the combination with a casing having a chamber therein and parallel tie pieces connecting opposite walls thereof, one of said tie pieces being provided with a kerf on the side adjacent to the other, of members arranged upon opposite sides of said casing respectively, each adapted to interlock with a member formed in accordance with the other on an adjacent unit of the cabinet, one of said members embodying an engaging projection and the other a bolt arranged in the kerf to move into and out of cooperation with its engaging projection and having an operating portion projecting between the tie pieces and accessible from within the chamber.

7 In an interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets, the combination with a casing having parallel tie pieces connecting opposite walls thereof, one of said tie pieces being provided with a kerf on the side adjacent to the other, of members arranged upon opposite sides of said casing, respectively, each adapted to interlock with a'member formed in accordance &

with the other on an adjacent unit of the cabinet, one of said members embodying a headed projection, and the other a flat sliding bolt having a bifurcated end arranged in the kerf in the tie piece to move into and out of cooperation with the head of its engaging member, said bolt being provided with an operating flange projecting between the tie pieces.

8. In an interchangeable unit for the formation of sectional cabinets, the combination with a casing having a tie piece extending between and resting upon its end walls at one side of the latter, the opposite sides of said walls being provided with recessed portions adapted to fit over the ends of tie pieces on another adjacent and similarly formed section or unit, of members arranged upon two opposite sides of the section, respectively, each adapted to interlock with a member formed in accordance with the other on an adjacent unit, one of said members embodying a headed projection in the recess of the end wall of the section and the other a locking member carried by the tie piece and movable into and out of position for cooperation with its headed projection.

ALBERT T. WEISS.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, FLORENCE E. FRANCE. 

